News: M800 Stone Garden Special Edition

As anticipated, news broke early this morning across Europe regarding the next big release out of Hannover. All I can say is prepare to hear the sound of jaws dropping. Today we have the Pelikan M800 Stone Garden Special Edition and, if the product shots do it justice, it looks to be a gorgeous fountain pen. Of course, given the inconsistent track record of Pelikan’s product photography over the last several releases, we’ll have to reserve judgement until we can see some real world pictures. Still, there is a lot of promise here. This model follows closely on the heels of the M205 Olivine which just recently entered retail channels and the much more limited Raden Royal Platinum. The promotional literature for the Stone Garden states; “Rock gardens are known for their soothing effect. The new special edition Souverän M800 Stone Garden absorbs this atmosphere and offers tranquility in daily chores.” It is anticipated to be available around mid-October.

A variety of retailersacross Europe tell us that this M800 will feature Pelikan’s standard gold-plated furniture including a single trim ring at the section, two trim rings at the piston knob, two cap bands, a plated cap top with a single chick logo, and the iconic pelicans beak clip. The section, piston knob, and cap are done in a dark blue resin which beautifully compliments the blue and brown marbling effect on the cellulose-acetate barrel. There does not appear to be a discrete ink window and only time will tell if there is any translucency to the design for gauging ink levels. The nib will be Pelikan’s familiar two-toned 18C-750 gold available in EF, F, M, and B widths. The M800 is a larger pen coming in at 5.59 inches when capped, 6.46 inches when posted, with a diameter of 0.52 inches, and a weight of 0.99 ounces. The quoted ink capacity for this model is 1.35mL.

Click to enlarge (it’s worth it!)

This is a special edition release meaning production will be limited. If you’ve been waiting for the right pen to come along and aren’t put off by a bigger writing instrument, this may be the one you’ve been waiting for. In addition to the fountain pen, there also appears to be a matching K800 ballpoint pen available. No word yet on the US MSRP. While prices will vary somewhat between regions and vendors, I’d expect the fountain pen to go for somewhere around €437.19 (~$509.84) for US customers shopping overseas when the VAT is excluded. The ballpoint will likely be in the neighborhood of €300 (~$349.86). That would be consistent with past releases and, while expensive, is not off the charts. Keep in mind, if you want an EF nib and are shopping from an EU vendor, you will pay a small additional premium. Your preferred retailer should be taking pre-orders soon.

K800 Ballpoint

In my personal opinion, if the actual product lives up to the pre-release photos depicted here, then this may well be the best looking release out of Hannover this year. If you look closely a the photos, it almost looks as if Pelikan took their standard striped pattern and twisted it around the barrel creating this interesting marbled effect. I know many will be disappointed to see another large pen with an awesome finish but fret not. If rumors are to be believed, the M600 line should get its own new addition before the year is out and it’s no slouch. What are your thoughts on the Stone Garden M800 and will you be picking one up?

Thank you Joshua. This is not what I had imagined, but it is a beautiful pen just the same. Fritz says “blue resin” in his post… do you know if the section, knob, and cap are blue resin or black? So hard to tell from the promo shots.

And yes, I will be grabbing one, although not sure from which vendor yet.

Definitely a ‘must have’. It looks as much of a stunner as the Renaissance Brown, and the idea of combining dark blue for the cap and piston knob with the gorgeous stone garden colouring is a stroke of genius.

Thank you Joshua, I’d no idea of another release so soon after Platinum. Will my bank balance accommodate yet another purchase – it’ll have to! Incidentally, despite the £/€ exchange rate, I can wholeheartedly recommend Penworld in Antwerp- not sure how prices work if they shipped to US.
Best wishes,
David

I will not be purchasing this pen mostly because I think an M800 would be too big for my hands. That being said, it’s a lovely looking pen and I just LOVE the dark blue resin though I’m not crazy about the blue/brown marbling. I would love an M600 with the blue resin but with a different main color. Thanks for keeping us on top of all the new releases.

I figured as much but you aren’t far off the mark. Would it kill Pelikan to add a splash of color here and there. Even when daring, they remain on the subdued side. Some of their best releases have been vibrant and colorful.

I’m the anomaly here. At first glance, I’m not crazy about the color scheme. I may change my mind; I often do. I wasn’t sure about the Renaissance Brown and now it’s a favorite to look at and write with. At the moment, I’m leaning towards passing😱

I think you’re right to reserve judgement until we see some more pics. I too was a bit plus/minus on the Renaissance Brown but it definitely has a beauty that’s easy to appreciate. Hopefully this will prove similar.

Are you familiar with the Aspen edition of the Shaeffer Balance II pen? Bexley also had an Aspen edition of their Submariner Grande. The Stone Garden looks very similar, at least from the photos. I hope so, my Aspens are my favorite pens.

Once again, a great preview Josh. Since I just picked up two pens in Europe just a few weeks ago i think I need to give it a rest.. it’s a beauty but doesn’t call to me the same way the red stripe or ocean swirl did.

I will buy this one, as I have bought the Ocean Swirl, Stresemann, normal M805, two M1000 (black and green/black), all new M120s, M205 and few more new and vintage Pelikan pens. And I’m thinking about the irony – I’m loosing the joy of owning Pelikan (and I have a long history with this brand) because of the nibs. They are all the same. I wish they have introduced flexible or at least semi-flexible nib, or BB, 3B, OBB … something I don’t already have – I would stop buying Aurora pens. When I look at my Pelikan pens, I tend to reach for M1000 with M nib and M805 with F nib. The M1000 is well… different, softy/springy, large… M805 F is perfect, the rest of them are predictable ( albeit pretty). Maybe it’s just me 🕺🏻 😄

Your comment about the nibs is well taken and this has been point of contention for years. The nib line up works for them from a financial and sales model I’m sure but doesn’t do much for the enthusiast. I think we’re just too small of a market to cater to. Have you tried to get a few of those nibs custom ground? I was against it for a long time but, like you, got tired of the same old line. Really makes for a refreshing change for not too much of an extra cost.

I find it amusing/interesting to find an ink that best matches the Pelikan I am using. For example, I always fill my 800 Blue striated pen with Iroshizuku Asa-Gao (“morning glory”) ink. With this gorgeous new pen, however, a darker blue would probably suit it best. My immediate thoughts are Diamine Bilberry or Iroshizuku Shin-Kai (“deep sea”) ink. What do others think of this?

I use several iroshizuku inks indeed one if my favourites is asa-gao but I also like kon-peki. I use Diamond inks too including Bilberry. Diamine works really well in my ‘wet’ writers such as Pelikan. Have a look at their ‘Majestic Blue’ or ‘Sargasso Sea’.

When writing letters (rather than doing my own admin) I try to match the colour to the recipient which is always fun, blue doesn’t suit everyone.

I’ve never been big on matching inks with pens, mostly because I’m limited in what colors I can get away with. I know that for the Stone Garden, Pelikan themselves are suggesting that it be paired with the Edelstein Sapphire ink.

I don’t have a choice here – I have to buy it. And in fact, just reserved it at LCDC since there was that awesome coupon code. I actually bought and sold the Ocean Swirl twice before I understood turquoise is not for me. And as much as I love the recent M815, it’s just a bit too close to the Stresseman for my personal taste. But this I can’t pass up. Here’s hoping it’s as beautiful as it looks here!

“I don’t have a choice here…” That’s the way I feel with nearly every release. Sorry that the Ocean Swirl wasn’t your cup of tea but glad that you finally figured it out. Hopefully the Stone Garden will be much more to your liking. I also agree that the Stresemann, the Metal Striped, and even the Raden Royal Platinum are just variations on the same theme. It’s a nice theme but to come out so close to one another seems overdone.

They have not indicated as such explicitly but all indicators suggest that it is, particularly since we’ve already seen the same in the M320. My apologies. I was originally commenting on the M600 Vibrant Orange. As for the Stone Garden, I don’t think there will be much in the way of translucency or an ink view. Will have to wait to see what it delivers but I don’t anticipate anything of that sort here.

Thank you Joshua. I hoped something definitive had issued from Hanover in the two weeks since you posted the announcement. If the orange M320 is typical of that line, it looks almost like a dressed up demonstrator. I hope for some visibility for strictly practical purposes (“I’m a user, not a collector.”), but in fact it’s a moot question. The LCdC weekend sale was persuasive. How mysterious, that a mere pen can be so captivating. Perhaps an explanation could begin with what the mighty pen can do, the technical virtuosity with which especially the Pelikan fountain pen accomplishes it, and the beauty and dignity they (usually) bring to the task. This one could have been more aptly named however. It seems to me less reminiscent of a stone garden than of an fall hued aurora borealis.

I was wondering if that might be the case. Many of Pelikan’s birds without a discrete ink window are able to pull this off. More than enough for me but some really miss the window. Regardless of what it ends up being, I’ll be happy to add this one to the flock.

Fritz-Schimpf got real world photos of the Vibrant Orange and Stone Garden out very quickly which I appreciate. Still, seeing is believing and I know that these pens are incredibly hard to photograph. My Stone Garden is in the mail and hopefully the Vibrant Orange will be close behind. Perhaps I’ll do a review of this one since it’s something different.

My Stone Garden arrived this morning and I’m afraid I feel disappointed and let down – particularly after the Metal Striped and Platinum.

This pen feels plasticy (if there is such a word) and I think the gold (which is a different colour from my other M800s looks cheap with the blue resin (or is it plastic?)

The barrel colours appear to be formed by a spiral of the striated material that we normally see as straight lines within the barrel. There is some apparent ‘depth’ in the barrel material I grant you, but overall the colours look dull – I don’t know how PenWorld have managed to take such bright pictures for their Instagram site.

It is difficult to see ink level or piston through the barrel.

Oh well I suppose 2 out of 3 isn’t bad – but I think my flock will probably not grow bigger if this is the best Pelikan can do!

I’m sorry to hear that it’s not quite up to your expectations. The M815 and M805 that you describe are different animals and I can see how the M800 might pale in comparison. Blue resin is just a fancy word for plastic so you’re correct on that front. I did not expect any transparency on this one so I’m not surprise that it would be difficult to gauge the ink level. If you are truly unsatisfied, I hope that you are still able to return it for a refund. I’ll be curious to see how well these sell. I suspect the Vibrant Orange may ultimately prove to move a lot better.

If ‘Stone Garden’ did not evoke the luminescent pre-release images, or any image one might instinctively associate with a special edition Pelikan, the official description evidently should have been taken seriously even so. “Stone gardens are known for their calming effect.” Until it arrives I shall assume that this was the intended virtue of the design, an alternative to the thrill of a Vibrant Orange. And let us note too that the dark blue components are not mere resin, but “precious resin.” 😉

I should have eyes on it tomorrow. It was delivered a few days ago but I’ve been away. I’ve seen many real world pics by now and do think it worth purchasing if it appeals to you. Whether it’s worth it or not though is a very subjective assessment. I love the M800 line and this is a more unique finish in that line-up which makes it a no brainer for me. Plus, I love blue pens. I know the pattern on the barrel doesn’t appeal to everyone. Only you can decide if it’s worth purchasing but I can say that I’m not disappointed based on what I’ve seen thus far. I do hope to have a review of this one up soon.

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